


the less i know the better

by death13



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Childhood Friends, Coming of Age, Fluff, Growing Up Together, Nostalgia, Other, Ouija, do they get together do they not who knows, the slightest bit of humor.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 01:03:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21467491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/death13/pseuds/death13
Summary: You and Bokuto's relationship could be seen as unnatural at times.
Relationships: Bokuto Koutarou/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 67





	the less i know the better

Bokuto meets you in primary school when he's seven-turning-eight and it's a chilly September morning. No, correction, Bokuto does not remember the first time he meets you, for you were not introduced and you're simply his neighbor and you go to the same primary; but it's a chilly September morning and he's seven-turning-eight, and he's about to close the first-floor window when the house phone rings. 

He might've been home alone since his 'ma always warns him about answering the phone, but he picks it up anyway and he hears the sound of someone trying to make their voice sound raspy while clearly failing. Bokuto then makes a mental note to make a rage comic related to the topic later on. "Hi."

"Hi." 

"You're―" there's a bit of a laugh like you can't take yourself seriously, but you move on regardless, "―you're ugly, you're disgusting, give me two hundred yen." 

Bokuto gazes out the window and he sees you fooling around with the house phone. Though once you catch him looking at you, all you can do is wave sheepishly (and red-handed) as if to somehow win his mercy and prevent him from telling on you. 

He doesn't know what you were trying to do, but this is when he finds out that the Bokuto's and the [L/n]'s house phones are a few numbers off of each other. He's not sure what to do with this information, but he ends up not telling on you regardless. 

***

Bokuto's mother finds out about how you and her son talk on the phone. He's nine-turning-ten by then and he's not sure how come she didn't find out faster. Maybe because you and he were too into playing secret agents and trying not to get caught even though it'll pose no danger to you. Perhaps being dramatic is genetic for him. 

Seeing you face-to-face up close is kind of awkward the first few times, but the both of you get over it anyway. 

Somewhere 'round Christmas, both of your families are celebrating at your house. He finds that he's got one present extra and it's a mysteriously circular object. He tears off the crude wrapping and he finds himself staring at a mess of blue and yellow and white. 

"What's that?"

"Bo," you deadpan, "it's a ball, you animal. Like, ball is life or whatever." 

"For volley?" 

"Yeah, heard ya complainin' that you don't have anythin' to play with anymore or something." 

Bokuto proceeds to force you to set for him since no one else wants to for a few years. 

***

Bokuto's twelve and about to end his final year in primary school when he eavesdrops on a conversation between you and some random kids from your class. He's not sure if they're your friends or not, but he's waiting for you to finish up and leave 'cause his 'ma makes him take you to school. And since apparently going alone is dangerous, he takes it upon himself to get you back safely, too. 

"[L/n], what'd you like in a boyfriend, then?" one of the girls present challenges you. A few of the boys look somewhat curious as to what you'd answer.

You appear disinterested in the topic at hand, since you've never really thought about it. "I guess I'd want a smart one who'll do my homework or something."

***

Bokuto's thirteen when he's working on a school project in your room and there's a moment of epiphany. He's painting a mini Jupiter, though not very well when he notices how your room is becoming more and more different from his as the years fly by. Maybe once you both had the same toys lying around and the same comic books, but now his room is full of sports rewards and that old volleyball you bought him some time ago. Yours is painted over shittily in black paint and there are posters of bands he doesn't recognize hung up on the walls, perhaps since you've been watching MTV more often now.

He feels like he doesn't fit in well. He thinks that you're going out of reach. 

"Hey, what club are you gonna join?" Bokuto asks, enthusiastic despite his inner anxieties. "I'm already in the volleyball club, so..." 

"This guy from the upperclassmen is tryin' to make an Occult club." 

"Oh. Are you joining?" 

"I mean if there are enough interested students," you explain dismissively. "Y'know, our junior's full of posers, so it might be a bit annoying." 

"...Posers?" he asks, mildly concerned. 

"You wouldn't understand," you declare idiotically, before leaning all your weight on him. "But you're cool."

"Of course, I'mma be an ace."

***

Bokuto's fourteen when you and he started living in completely different worlds. He's one of the regulars in the volleyball club now and you no longer entertain him with setting 'cause you're too busy going to scene kid parties (or is it goth? he's never too confident in the terminology) and hanging out with skaters. The rewards on his wall only multiply along with a stack of video games while you simply manage to accumulate more garbage. There's a '_The Human Centipede_' poster next to the '_Talking Heads_' one now, a skateboard kicked carelessly under your bed and a guitar you can't play. 

Bokuto's. He guesses that he's a jock or a prep or whatever, still not too confident with the terminology. Your friends don't like jocks. 

Neither of you lets go, though, and the in-and-out of school tradition never ceases. Bokuto remembers that a few years ago he gave you an owl plushie for your birthday since he never really paid you back for that Christmas present. 

While he's waiting for you to come back after a quick piss and staring at the newest additions of '_Unknown Pleasures_' and surprisingly '_Neon Genesis Evangelion_' on your wall, he hears the disturbingly loud flush of a toilet he had to get used to and then you rush into the room. 

"Bo."

"[N/n]." 

"I got a new phone, look," you say before whipping out one of those fancy Razr phones he's been hearing about lately. He's surprised to see the owl he gave you god knows how long ago hanging off of it, 'cause phone charms are the newest trend. 

"Woah, I wonder if my 'ma will get me one if I ask." 

You shrug. "Dunno. We can text if she agrees."

"We can already text," he argues, frustrated by your broken logic.

"Fuck you. I'll buy you a charm."

"Hell yeah." He grabs your new phone out of your grasp and you scream while wrestling him for it, alas be it because of sports or not, he overpowers you. "Who's Tenka?" 

"He's the pres' of the Occult club. We're dating," you say nonchalantly. 

"Oh." Lately, you've noticed that your friend is more prone to mood swings, but you're not sure what it is that makes his shoulders slump this time. "Does he do your homework?"

"Nah, why?" 

You end up buying him a charm for his new Razr, though. 

***

It's not unusual to see you at practice for the volleyball club. It's unlike you to do something out of politeness, but if you have to be honest, you have no interest in the sport itself. You just go for Bokuto. 

"There's this party my friends are throwing," you mention off-handedly. "Tenka told me I can invite whoever I want, so..." 

Though Bokuto feels like he should deny simply because he doesn't mesh well with your friends at all, he considers it. Well, his scene or not, it's not like him to miss an opportunity to make new friends! "Sure, why not? Gotta make up some bullshit to my mom, though." 

"Ya know, we'll just roleplay havin' a sleepover at mine or something," you suggest. 

***

It's the next day that Bokuto finds himself in a rather bizarre situation. Your friends are nice to him and offer him some kind of glowstick and a couple of drinks similar to Monster but less known and after a bit of fooling around in some guy's basement, he comes face-to-face with an Ouija board. 

He can't shake off the feeling that your emo boyfriend doesn't like him very much though. He supposes it's natural that the kid with the dyed black hair that's unnaturally rough at the ends wouldn't like the volleyball captain-wannabe, but he's willing to try to get along with him for your sake. 

"I say Bokuto and [L/n] try the Ouija next," some guy suggests while gulping down one of the aforementioned drinks. Tenka grunts disapprovingly when you roll off of him.

When the board is laid on top of both of you guys' knees, Bokuto finds that he likes it when yours is brushed up against his, but that'd be something to dwell on later. Tenka is positively rolling his eyes in the background while the guy who brought the board itself is cackling along with his friend as if they're waiting for some evil plan to pan out before their eyes. 

The guy that suggested they be the ones playing interrupts you before you can even ask your question. "Hey, what should Bokuto and [L/n] do?"

The board quickly spells out K-I-S-S and the two preparators appear to be having the time of their lives. Tenka's pissed. Bokuto thinks he wouldn't mind, but shakes the thought off―even he can tell that this is a prank, after all.

***

Bokuto's fifteen when you and your emo boyfriend from the Occult club break up after a rather tumultuous relationship. It's kind of sad, but he can't help laughing when the two of you go through your old texts with him. He clearly remembers one instance where Tenka had sent you Sext by Blood on The Dancefloor and you faked flattery.

Phone charms come in and out of style, but you never take yours off. 

***

Bokuto's sixteen-turning-seventeen and in his second year of high school when you come back from the year you spent abroad _and _summer camp. Most of the posters are ripped off your walls by then and you no longer wear those ridiculously big black boots and clown make-up with the raccoon mascara and foundation that doesn't match your neck. 

You come back late at night on a Friday, one week into the school year, and your childhood friend is awoken by the loud music you play from your car. Though you both have matured since then, your taste in bands hasn't changed, at least. 

He runs outta his house to greet you and the moment you finally manage to drag your suitcase out of the trunk, you feel someone wrap their arms around you and give you the strongest bear-hug you've ever endured. 

"Hey, hey, hey! You're back!!!" 

"Kou― um. Woah," the comment slips by without you giving it much thought. The thing is, Bokuto is taller and more athletic now, and he appears brighter than a year ago somehow, with a grin that's sure to make anyone melt. Wait.

Wait a second. 

"Did you do something to your hair?" 

"Yeah, you like it?"

"I like, uh, the idea," you reply. He dyed it and spiked it up, but the dye job isn't looking so fresh. Honestly, it looks clumsy. "Did you do it yourself?" 

"Hell yeah. Say, [Y/n], do I look like an owl?"

You're not sure where this came from. "Listen, I just got back home. We can discuss this later."

***

Bokuto isn't sure when he got so damn _good _at chemistry. Maybe it's Kuroo's nerdy bullshit that somehow helped him understand it, or rubbed off of him like a disease (he took it upon himself to call their illness _brocus_, and you say it kind of sounds like a pet name for bronchitis but he doesn't comment any further on the matter).

Whatever. Bros that bro together, bro together, or whatever the fuck. 

"Agh, I didn't do my chem homework." You hit yourself on the head for being so absentminded. Though it's a bit of a violent reaction, he can only smirk before he utters his practiced line. 

"Heh. I did it."

"You did?"

"Yeah."

"Did someone help you?"

"_Just take it_."

***

As thanks for the chemistry homework, you take it upon yourself to fix the ugly dye-job. You're not sure how he managed to screw up that badly, but you have a fair share of experience since your scene-goth-emo-whatever phase, so you're confident in your ability to fix the situation. 

"[Y/n], I missed you," he whines as you're doing your magic. 

"We Skyped every day," you admit. "I even sent you cringe compilations." 

"Well, Skype isn't good enough. I like the real thing, y'know?" 

You're not really sure why his words have an effect on you to this degree but your hands shake slightly and you accidentally get dye on his eyebrow. Yikes. You're about to apologize and he looks up to you to tease you for being clumsy despite supposedly trying to fix his dye, but he realizes he's never really seen you from this close. 

He counts a few of your eyelashes and the way his shitty bathroom lights makes your face look ethereal in _some _fucked up way, and you're not sure why, but you close your eyes and lean in before he gets the courage to do so. 

You're confident your lips are about to meet his the moment someone exclaims "I need to piss!" and Kuroo barges into the room. "Um..."

"Um..."

"Bro, what're you doing here?" Bokuto says, nonchalantly. So nonchalantly, in fact, that everyone is aware that he's just pretending that this isn't an awkward situation. 

"Movie night," Kuroo deadpans. 

***

[EXTENDED ENDING]

**ipushgrandmas1**:

so

about last night hahjehehehehahahahahjk

do u like kou's new hair-do

**kurokuro**:

sure whatever

l/n bokuto says that, and i quote, Owl u need is love

**Author's Note:**

> i miss phone charms that is all


End file.
